


The Heart Never Lies

by sunlitflowers



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Classism, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Offensive Disability Language, Sexism, Slut Shaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-18 08:04:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 22,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7306714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlitflowers/pseuds/sunlitflowers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Belle, Rumpelstiltskin, Milah and Gaston grew up together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Birth

“C’mon, Milah! We’re gonna miss it!” Five year old Rumpelstiltskin called over his shoulder to his best friend in the whole entire world. 

It was finally the day that the entire town had been waiting for. Colette French had given birth to a beautiful baby girl and was allowing everyone to visit with best wishes just for a single day. Growing up impoverished with spinsters after the death of his mother and abandonment of the father, Rumple knew that there was no way he could get close to anything like this ever again. Nothing ever changed in this land when it came to class. He’d lived in a shack his entire life and he would continue doing so forever. Milah was pretty, he thought. She could marry a handsome prince and get out of here. Her choosing a gentlemanly suitor was what won her over on coming with him. Today they weren’t going to be treated like they were the bottom of a barrel of slugs. 

In his ragged clothes which had been stitched together like a makeshift jigsaw puzzle, Rumple and Milah shuffled through the crowd outside of French Castle. They were pushed and kicked aside for daring to share their ugly faces any other day. Lady French had given an order that visitors were to be treated as though they lived in peace. She didn’t want any negativity around her precious child. The Lord and Lady were seated in iron thrones of pride near the outside wall of the castle. Their daughter rested in a carriage spun of golden silk at the center of the marble floor courtyard. People were separating, but it wasn’t out of disgust from the lower ranking children or the higher ranking bourgeoisie. It was for a child, not much younger than Rumple. Her eyes were stitched shut and her hair was the color of burning fire. 

“Seer! We hadn’t planned for you. I would had made accommodations.” Colette left her seat to bring water. She helped the Seer drink from her own chalice.

“I am just here for a moment. I have seen the child’s future as it is destined for her. My blessing comes with a warning.” A mumble fell upon the crowd.

“Rumple, what’s going on? Who is she?” Milah worried beside his arm. He shook his head and backed away out of fear.

“Be my guest, Seer. I admire your gifts truly. Please share your value with me.” The Lady encouraged, remaining in front of the mysterious and frightening child. The Seer raised her palms to reveal the bright blue eyes blinking and searching around through the new light.

“Your daughter will be beautiful and attract the attention of a brave warrior and man’s monster. One will obtain her after the kingdom falls when you pass on.” 

“Who my child? Who is the one that will take my Belle away?” Colette feared only for her daughter’s life. 

While the crowd grew up in a fury about the princess of the town ever being harmed, a name was told to Lady French. She didn’t believe this could be right, but the Seer was never wrong. She had been right about it being a girl born when the first roses bloomed and the moon was golden. The castle astrologers had even noted it was a spherical, white pearl every other night. There had even been a betting pool, but Colete knew long ago that the Seer always knew. They had met a few times and every single fortune had been correct. If her daughter was in danger, precautions needed to be taken. Not from children, of course. No one in her near land would be turned away.

Hours upon hours drove the morning sun into the pale moon. Visitors had come, heard a word from the lovely Lady Colette, and left after presenting their gift. Seeing that the last few were just grimy little children covered in dirt and looking like they were made of rust, Maurice French had wanted to send them away and close the gates, but his wife wouldn’t let him as per the rule of the day. This was a magnificent time of peace she wanted to keep. She was also quite interested in the two young boys that shared a path in Belle’s life. The first Gaston LeGume who was just five years of age, but expressing interest in joining their courts along with his Lord father. His gift was a wooden sword for protection and a sworn allegiance to Lord and Lady French. The second an almost orphan by name of Rumpelstiltskin. This one was intriguing.

He had nothing to present Belle other than his own curiosity. He peeked over the crib with wide brown eyes and short dirty hair. His eyes glistened at the sight of the beauty and wondrous silk cloth Belle was dressed and wrapped in. The girl he was with, Milah, fawned over the gowns and how Belle was attired better than she. Colette kept her gaze locked on the both while her husband grew tense with disgust. It had taken a lot of convincing for him to allow this event to take place. Having the penniless-almost-orphan and his friend treading their soot covered faces into the castle was enough to make anyone nauseated. For this reason, Colette decided not to divulge the names she had been told until later.

“She’s beautiful.” Rumpelstiltskin commented to the Lady.

“You shouldn’t be around her.” Gaston defended from behind his father’s leg. “I don’t know why you think you can be here.”

“We were all invited, stupid.” Milah rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“You didn’t even bring a good gift. Can you not afford one? Go ask your dad for money.”

“Yeah we did! Give it to ‘er.” Milah nudged Rumpelstiltskin’s shoulder. He shrunk into himself, but obliged to pull out the gift. Rumpelstiltskin didn’t want to give it away, but if his friend seemed so sure, then he would. He walked up the steps to present it to Colette.

“I had the spinner sister’s help me make it. It's good if you name it something.” 

“A straw doll? You’re giving the Princess a straw doll?” Gaston snorted from behind his hand. 

“This is very kind, thank you. When she gets older, I’ll let her name it.” Colette walked over, doll in hand, and lifted her daughter out of the crib. The crying baby had calmed at the toy she was given. “She loves it. Thank you, dearie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *re-edited 26 june. i have no beta so i don't catch any mistakes until i read through them on my own time. i hope there aren't too many that it's distracting.


	2. The Guard

Belle and her mother enjoyed going to a secluded part of the woods behind their home. They would pack a picnic, a few books, and sit by the babbling brook and enjoy time together. Belle learned how to walk and talk in those woods, but she learned how to read first. As Colette started getting sick, Maurice began taking her so as not to show anything was wrong. They kept everything completely secret after the Seer had predicted the end of their kingdom following Colette’s death. Worrying their people and their beloved daughter didn’t seem like a wise idea. Belle aged into a loving, happy child because of this. 

She was five years old when she met Gaston, son of Lord LeGume. Gaston was being trained as her protector. One morning, it was just the two of them while Maurice remained at his wife’s bedside during a particularly bad day. Belle was five, reading at a ten year old level, and Gaston was very bored. He had apparently been told this was training as a guard for the French family and hadn’t expected to be tricked into essentially babysitting. Still, being allowed into the French woods, he remained and practiced sword fighting. He started hitting the tree she was leaning against to read. 

“Why and what are you even reading?” Gaston asked, honestly a bit curious.

“It’s about the bravest soldier ever born. It’s mummy’s favorite book.” Gaston placed his sword, a stick, under his arm. He sat down next to her and looked at the pages for a moment before scrunching his face.

“There’s no pictures. How do you know what’s going on?”

“It’s the first book she ever read to me. I know what’s gonna happen on every page.” 

“That’s stupid.” Gaston stood up and began hitting the tree again. “You should be learning how to bake cookies or something useful. I’m starving.” He hit the tree harder and harder until leaves and acorns started hitting her on the head. 

In her own anger, Belle began leaving. She had hoped he might follow and apologize. When he didn’t, she figured it the best. Gaston frustrated her to no end all morning. She reckoned it was just because of the way he was raised. He didn’t have a mother and his father certainly wasn’t going to teach him compassion and understanding. She would try her hardest to show him that if they continued with these outings together. For now, they both needed their space. She trekked on through the woods in a part she had never been to. She found herself in a place she had never seen before. Exploration had always been a key point in her dreams, but she never was allowed.

In the clearing was a young boy just a little older than herself. He looked a little lost and a lot of upset. Belle placed the book in her bag and walked over to him.

“Are you okay?” 

“Who’s asking?” The boy jumped, getting into a fighting stance. She smiled a little sadly seeing his hands were shaking. 

“My name is Belle.” Belle said then pointed to the castle. “I live just over there. But I was reading and Gaston was being dumb, so I’m here.” 

The boy’s eyes went wide and his hands dropped by his side. “Belle French? My name is Rumpelstiltskin.” He bowed. It was then she saw he was bleeding on the top of the head.

“What…what happened to you?” Belle tapped her own head to show what she meant. Rumpelstiltskin straightened and felt the sticky substance from his injury. “Is that why you were crying?”

“I was not crying. And I got in a fight if it’s any of your business.” He spat then clamped a hand over his mouth as though realizing who he was talking to. Before he could apologize, Belle stepped forward. She pulled his shoulders down to inspect the wound.

“I think I can help if you let me.” 

Belle and Rumpelstiltskin found another section of the brook. They sat down and she tore off a piece of her dress to soak in the water and clean his injury. It looked worse than it actually was, but she kept telling him how brave he was anyway. Her only experience with boys was Gaston and her father and they liked hearing about how brave they were. Rumpelstiltskin then shared he was upset because his father hadn’t come back yet from searching for a job. It had been days and he was worried something was happening. He didn’t share with the young governess that his father had the worst reputation of a cheat and a lying manipulator. Nor did he share that he’d been left living with wool spinsters all his life. Belle was giving him more than enough sympathy as it was from an injury that wasn’t too bad.

She ripped more of her dress to tie the cold compress onto his head. They sat and talked for a long time. Belle shared her books with him and talked about thinking something was going on with her mom. They usually came out together to read, but lately she’d had to be with her father. She definitely knew something was going on because today she was sent out with Gaston. It was hard for her not to be an open book. When she saw the straw doll in his jacket pocket, she fawned over and talked about her own. Rumpelstiltskin then helped her come up with a name so hers would protect her, as his had him. They went though a dozen or so names, none of which she liked better than Peter Pan. She laughed at the strange things that he offered to call it. 

“Belle!” She heard her father and Gaston call.

“Rumple? Rumple!” A girl yelled for him. The two children stood at this, Belle helping him up, and looked in the opposite directions their names were coming from. Belle frowned.

“Can I meet you again here?” He was the first one aside from her mother that shared an interest in her books. 

“Only if you name the doll.” Belle smiled and tossed her arms around his waist as she was too short currently for anything else.

The scary telling of the Seer’s palms had stayed in the background of his mind these last five years. Peter Pan had protected him, more or less, since his dad made him name it. Rumple didn’t want to be responsible in any part for what the Seer had predicted. There were two children who Lady Colette had treated any different than the rest of the children. That was himself and Lord LeGume’s son Gaston. If it wasn’t them then he honestly had no idea what the purpose of her kindness was. He lived in squalor with an always-gone father. Nobody had ever treated him the same way. Except today. Her own flesh and blood. He remembered the Seer telling Collette of her untimely demise prior to the kingdom falling. He wondered if this sickness was the cause of this. He didn’t have the heart to ask how ill Belle’s mother was, but her being kept in the dark about any of this seemed so wrong.

“Belle, there you are!” Rumple tensed seeing it was Maurice French looking for his daughter. He was followed by Gaston slashing down twigs with a toy sword. The ten year old stood with pride.

“I bet he kidnapped her.” Gaston accused, aiming his sword towards Rumpelstiltskin. “That’s Malcolm’s son.” 

“Rumpelstiltskin, there you are. Your pop’s in trouble, we gotta go.” The girl with dark hair and bright eyes ran where they were. She stopped quickly seeing Lord French, young LeGume, and Belle.

“Oh, you’re not going anywhere right now.” Maurice warned, grasping Rumpelstiltskin’s shirt by the collar. Belle ran forward to pull back her father while Milah pulled at her friend.

“Papa, let him go! He didn’t steal me away or anything. He just wants to go home.” Belle pleaded against the anger in her father’s eyes. Maurice finally relented. She fell back into Gaston’s hold and he helped her stand back up. He pushed her towards Maurice’s horse which she struggled again. She outstretched a hand to reach for her new and only friend. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.” 

Maurice waited until Gaston had fled with his daughter back home before addressing the two children. “You two are not worth the ground she spits on. Get out of my sight and never return here again or I’ll have you all locked up and executed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is brought to you by that scene in the lion king 2


	3. The Friend

The moment Belle was home she hopped off her father’s horse and ran inside the castle. She didn’t stop until she was up the grand staircase and outside of her mother’s room. She wanted to tell her about Maurice being mean towards her new friend, she wanted to tell her about the new friend, and she wanted to tell Colette all about her day in full. She needed Colette’s help to figure out what it meant to be so happy and so angry all at the same time. Maurice never let her have any fun and definitely no other friends aside from Gaston who she didn’t even like that much to begin with. Her mother would help. She knew all about everything in the world and, most importantly, what to say to make it all go away. Her mother was the only one, aside from Rumpelstiltskin now, that she was comfortable around.

She stopped hearing voices coming from her mother’s room. The door was cracked open just slightly enough for her to peek without getting caught. A man with golden skin in a black robber and amber eyes stood at her bedside. A young girl with flaming red hair and tattered clothes was on the opposite with her palms up. Belle had seen her well enough to know that she was the Seer, as they met every year on Belle’s birthday, but she had no idea who the other one was. She listened closely and her blood ran cold. Colette was not getting any better. She had made peace with what was going to happen, but she didn’t want Belle to see her die a victim of being sick. Colette wanted her daughter to grow up brave and willing to fight anything. The Seer foretold that an ogre war was imminent. The Monster was going to steal Belle away the night before it destroyed the entire town. Colette asked the man, referring to him as ZoSo, for her dying wish to find this child and make him into the Monster he was destined to be. 

“Come in, child.” Seer invited in. Belle, shaking and terrified, opened and stepped into her mother’s view.

“Mama? What’s going on?” Colette, pale and frail and looking like she should have been gone long before this, sat up out of bed. She was holding a scary looking dagger. 

“Come here, dearie.” A smile on her voice, but her voice was drying and rotting. Belle climbed up into the bed and sat in Colette’s lap. “This is Mr. ZoSo.”

“Hello.” 

“Are you scared of how I look?” Belle shook her head. She was more afraid of this stranger by his intimidating presence. “Would you be friends with someone that looks as I do?”

“Yeah. I mean yes, Mr ZoSo.” ZoSo studied her for a moment, eyes narrowed into hers. 

“Something troubles you, child.” He acknowledged. Belle nodded and looked to her mother, then behind to see Seer having disappeared. She wished the girl could have stayed and played at least once.

“I made a friend and papa was mean to him after Gaston lied and said Rumpelstiltskin kidnapped me. But he was hurt and I was just helping him. Then I come here and…is all that stuff true? Are you so sick?”

“My darling, Belle. You needn’t worry. Mr ZoSo here is going to take care of everything. Papa was just afraid for you being gone so long.” Colette encouraged, petting her daughter’s hair. The other hand was gripped tight to the dagger. “Tell her she has nothing to fear from you.”

“You have nothing to fear from me.” Belle smiled, comforted of the words, and moved forward to hug him. 

“Go play in your room. Mr ZoSo and I have much more grown up things to discuss. I’ll come see you before bed tonight. You and I can talk more then” Belle turned around to hug Colette’s neck in a tight, loving, warm embrace. The scary tell the Seer had told was replaced by ZoSo’s assurance and gone from her thoughts.

Belle left Colette’s room and walked down the hall to her own. It was rather large, but small in comparison to the rest of the rooms. She had chosen based on distance to the house library. There were several bookshelves of her favorites lined up one wall, a bed, and toy chest beneath the window that contained her most played with items. A wooden sword from Gaston remained in that chest, but her straw doll was right beside her bed on the nightstand beneath a dream catcher. She had found doll clothes to dress it up exactly like the hero in her favorite book. She didn’t sleep with teddy bears or sweet dolls, she slept curled up with her head right next to her hero. As she thought long and heard about a name to give to it, there was but one that really seemed fitting. Hero.

That night her mother and father both came to kiss her goodnight. Maurice apologized for scaring her, but he didn’t want her to keep those kinds of friends. She was a princess. Her only friends should be those that truly deserved her. Colette rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. She looked like she’d never been sick a day in her entire life. She waited until Maurice left the room before talking with her daughter. Belle told her all about the boy and the injury and the brook and Gaston being an idiot and how Rumpelstiltskin didn’t treat her like those people that visited the castle and saw her reading. He talked to her about books and how he was the one that gave her the straw doll. Colette confirmed this and was more than happy that her daughter had found someone so kind towards her. However, she delivered the news they couldn’t go to the brook together anymore.

“But, you know what?” Colette smiled, getting up and going to Belle’s desk. “We could keep correspondents with him.” 

“Correspondents?” 

“Write him a letter. I’ll deliver it. There can’t be too many young boys with a head injury that lives with spinsters. I’ll teach you.” 

“What if he can’t write back? He doesn’t even have any socks.”

“We can share ours. Come on.” 

Colette helped Belle write a letter to Rumpelstiltskin about how happy she was to have met him, but they couldn’t anymore for their safety. Belle wrote him a story involving the adventures she had with Hero, the doll she had named, and how she kept it by the bed. She hoped he could write back and they could be correspondent friends. She would try to get him a letter every week that she could if that was okay. Belle gave it to her mother to mail. Colette added her own part in the letter asking Rumpelstiltskin about his father. If they needed any kind of help all they had to do was ask. She apologized for Maurice’s actions and promised that no harm would come to him for speaking with Belle. She was quick to say that he had made quite the impression and she hoped this could work out. If not, she understood. 

Rumpelstiltskin’s reply to arrive back was almost immediate as much as writing a letter could be.

Over the next few years, he and Belle wrote letters back and forth to each other talking about their lives and the way things were going. Not too long after he and Belle met, he lost his father. He promised it had nothing to do with Maurice, but she couldn’t help feeling guilty. Rumpelstiltskin was now living alone with spinsters. Belle tried to convince her mother to let him come live with them, but they couldn’t do that. As she grew older, she developed an affection for her friend. She spent more time writing him and wishing they could meet than anything else. The only freedom she had was her daily walks within the palace walls with Gaston as her guard. Rumpelstiltskin expressed worries over the ogres and hoped the disgruntlement stayed beyond their borders so the town could remain safe. 

One night, Belle made arrangements. It was following an argument with her father for never letting her leave anywhere and she had enough. Colette found out about these frustrations and secretly agreed to help Belle leave for just a little while. There was going to be a coming of age birthday party that people actually wouldn’t notice if she was missing or not. They could even have a masquerade party to make things easier. She hugged her mother. The greatest gift in this world was whatever Mr ZoSo had done all those years ago to heal Colette. There were so few people Belle considered a true friend that had always been there for her. Without Rumpelstiltskin, Colette was the only one. Her mother had done everything in the world to make Belle’s dreams come true. Everything was going to be wonderful and beautiful and she couldn’t be more excited to attend a party.


	4. The Proposal

“So, let me get this straight.” Milah started. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked from one side of the room to the other. “You are going somewhere you won’t disclose on the night of the Princess’s birthday party all dressed up and really think I can’t clue it together?” 

“I didn’t say you couldn’t,” he pointed out while fixing his bow. “Simply that I wouldn’t tell you one way or the other.”

“The most valuable thing that you own is stationery. You’ve been writing with her, haven’t you?” Rumpelstiltskin remained silents she continued. “Do you really think you have any kind of chance?”

“I’m not going anywhere for romance.” 

She wasn’t wrong in her assumptions of course. Belle wrote her heart out to him, had been from the first letter. She was charming. She was kind. She was everything Milah wasn’t. Her letters comforted him that someone out there would worry if anything happened to him. How could his heart not soar the moment Belle claimed only to have this party to meet and run away with him? Nobody outside of the castle had ever seen Belle since he first met her in the woods. Keeping her hidden wouldn’t be too difficult. He would make it work. Tonight, they were going to dance. That way if it all went to hell come morning, he would have tonight with her in his arms. She was the only one he’d ever met not conflicted by matters of class. She was the only one, aside from Milah, who had been there for him.

Invitation in hand (that labeled him as Mr Gold for the color of his parchment when writing Belle) Rumpelstiltskin made the journey back into the woods. He knew he’d be the only one attending that didn’t have any political or money power, but he couldn’t be prepared for this. The castle was lit up in ways that put the New Year’s celebration to shame. He took a breath, smoothed his hair back, and followed in with the rest of the crowd whose shoes looked better than he did. He found that he was the only one there that either cared about showing an invitation or that had one at all. He showed it to the guard who hastily ushered him inside. He didn’t seem to care at all. Rumpelstiltskin walked in to find the courtyard a vastly different scene than the one he’d been to all those years ago. That was the welcoming of a baby into the world. This was a grown up woman’s party.

Everywhere people were drinking, kissing and trying to do a combination of the both. The table of presents were a mile high in the air and candles had been charmed to illuminate in different colors. Any kind of alcohol that could be served was served to a kaleidoscope of guests in masks. Louder than the ogres anger, he thought. People were laughing and cackling, scaring and frightening each other with their masks. He got approached several times asking to either clean the upstairs toilet or if he was a migrant king from far away here to steal the Princess. Those dancing were sloppy at it and he hoped he could have one with Belle. This was her birthday and everyone would probably be lining up trying to get her hand. She was primed for marriage, after all. A lovely bride, mother and Queen she’d make. He just wanted a few moments to put a face to the emotional words she’d sent. 

“Where is the Princess, anyway?” Rumple casually asked one of the attendees. They pointed across the room to a painfully beautiful woman in a blue dress dancing with a Sir. Her brown hair cascaded down her back as she looked up to her partner and continued dancing around in circles with him. Belle being with someone didn’t matter to Rumple. He walked over with complete confidence and tapped her shoulder.

“Might I interject? Miss Belle and I have a written engagement.” He introduced himself to both parties. Belle decided for herself as a smile brightened her face and she hugged his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her.

“You came.” She mumbled her disbelief into his neck. He took her hand in his and entered into a slow sway.

“I’m always here for you. I want to give you everything you want.” Belle looked up to him and he thought for a moment she might…

“Follow me. My mother has set up a way for us to get away for tonight.” 

They walked casually out of the dance hall and through the gates of the garden until they were now in the woods. They strolled with no real destination in sight other than exploring their spot. They rarely talked about that day before then, but she stopped him at the brook where she healed his injury so long ago. Belle hugged his waist and leaned against his chest to look at the moonlight reflecting off the water. She claimed she didn’t want to be anywhere else then and she didn’t want to now. All it would take was to run right then and they could be free of everything. There would be no class separating them, no rules for her to stay inside, nobody to tell her that a woman’s place was in the kitchen. She wanted to stay there in his arms. He wanted to make this a possibility as long as she was happy. 

Belle turned to face him and reached up to caress his cheek. She pressed her lips to his chin and smiled when he drew her nearer. There wasn’t a more joyous soul than she in that moment, but he was a strong contender. Her heart swelled as she lifted his mask and was left in awe at how well he had aged. Hair dark as her loneliest nights, eyes the same shade but warmer somehow. There should be paintings of him in museums. He was the most attractive thing she had seen in her entire life. For the time being he was all hers. Rumpelstiltskin didn’t seem to mind that either. He placed his forehead against hers and remained still as her lips brushed against his. She was smiling before he let her close the distance. She pressed her body flush against his for the warmth she had dreamed he had. Everything was right. Everything was perfect.

“Happy birthday.” Belle laughed against his mouth. She didn’t want to move. She feared doing so would make everything fall away.

“Thank you for giving me what I wished for this year.” She pecked his lips once more and squeezed him tight. “I-”

“Belle!” Her father called. Belle quickly placed Rumpelstiltskin’s mask back on his face and stood in front of him. She knew he’d grown to ultimately fear conflict and wanted to protect him from this. 

“Here father, I was just showing Sir Gold the grounds.” She lied easily to protect him. 

“You know you aren’t allowed anywhere near here. That filthy boy might come back and you’d be tainted forever.”

Behind her, Rumpelstiltskin attempted to pull back. She tugged on his hand and kept him locked by her side. “That boy is my best friend.” 

“No matter.” Maurice waved his hand in front of his face as though the thought of ‘that boy’ brought up a disgusting smell. “Come along, then. Your mother and I have a surprise for you.” 

“Yes, father.” Belle doubted that Colette had anything to do with this surprise, but wouldn’t put her in the angry path. 

She looked over her shoulder and smiled apologetically at Rumple. They could never escape together, but they could continue this. She intertwined their fingers and pulled him along. Rumple walked along close enough behind that she could feel his warmth radiating towards her. She kissed his knuckles in secret and beamed at him as they came back into the light of the rest of the party. The cold came back to her the moment that there was a distance placed between them. Belle just had to hope that he knew how much she cared about him and that she probably loved him. These years had been spent talking with him, studying, and being eternally grateful that her mother was here with her. She wasn’t able to do anything else.

Gaston was standing at the center of the dance floor when they walked up and her heart stopped beating. Everyone looked excited and as though they knew something she didn’t. She looked to Rumple, eyes watering because she knew what Gaston was about to do. An ogre war was imminent and she heard her father talking about needing the LeGume’s fighting spirit to lead them through this. The best way to give Gaston that power was by way of marriage. Here, in front of everybody and the man who held her heart delicately in his wonderful hands, Gaston was going to ask. She would have no choice other than to accept. Her life was there in front of her. She would be wife to a man that knew nothing about her and what he did know he didn’t like. Gaston thought she was pretty and that was it. Rumple thought more of her. She needed him to stay so she could explain. She didn’t want him thinking their kiss meant nothing. She looked towards her mother for help. Colette nodded and left her seat.

“Wait right here.” Belle asked Rumple.

“Of course.” He didn’t sound too sure, but at least it was something. 

Belle walked forward to Gaston after her mother was nearing. Perhaps Colette could explain this better. She had known everything about Belle’s crush anyway and had encouraged it. Gaston met her halfway and they embraced in feigned adoration for each other. Every word that he said made the crowd around them ooh and awe, but she didn’t hear a word. Her mind was back with the one she wanted to be with. Gaston noticed everything. He was well and perfectly trained and would notice if she looked anywhere else aside from his face. She watched his mouth form the words. For a brief moment, Belle actually thought on this. War was coming and her people needed to be protected. The only way to do that was agreement. She closed her eyes and shaking hands took both of his as she reluctantly agreed. Before Belle could stop him, Gaston was standing. He kissed her in front of everybody.


	5. The Death

After the proposal to Gaston, Belle looked to see Colette and Rumpelstiltskin talking. She relaxed until it looked like he was leaving. She left her new fiance’s embrace before he could put the ring on her finger. She acted as though she were going to share the exciting news with her mother to be able to figure out what happened. Rumpelstiltskin needed to understand what was going on and how Gaston’s kiss meant nothing. Definitely not in comparison. Colette hugged her with a smile and explained Rumpelstiltskin had been hurt from the interaction and went home. Colette would cover for her if Belle wished to leave now, but she believed in the morning would be a better time. Belle shook her head and left the castle after kissing her mother’s cheek. 

She kicked her shoes off and ran towards the stables. Grabbing the one that used to be her favorite when she was allowed to ride and leave the grounds, Belle mounted it and began riding. She took off down the pathway in search of where he had gone and couldn’t find him. She had no idea where he lived or in what part of town. There were several areas around the castle that would take all night to explore and ask. Belle stopped at the diverged pathway and frowned hearing the horses pursuing her. Of course. Gaston did notice every freaking thing. Now she would be louted as crazy for running off right after getting engaged. She pushed her fingers through her hair and tried to think. She could write a letter, but it wouldn’t by any means get to him in time. Stating that Gaston meant nothing over a letter wasn’t the way to do this. They needed a face-to-face conversation.

“If marrying me makes you so uncomfortable,” Gaston finally caught up with her on his own horse. Over the years he had grown just as Rumple did, just as handsome of course, but there was nothing.

“Of course it does. I have to be strong to protect the kingdom. It’s coming and apparently if I don’t marry you, we will be unprotected.” She shook her head at how nonsensical that sounded. This was Gaston’s home as much as it was her own. He should just stay and fight as it were. The unification of the LeGume and French house be damned.

“I didn’t want to tell you this, but he’s seeing somebody.” Belle shot a glare in his direction. There was never a mention of any girl in his letters.

“What are you talking about?”

“Rumpelstiltskin. There’s this girl named Milah. She’s not near as pretty as you are, but still gorgeous.” As if she needed anymore insecurity on this.

“Why wouldn’t he tell me that?”

“Would you had kissed him if you knew? C’mon, let’s take a ride.” He leaned over and attached their reigns together.

Belle’s last letter to Rumpelstiltskin was explaining the entire situation and asking for him to understand. She got nothing from that and five letters after. With a broken heart, Colette comforted her and promised if she didn’t want this to happen they wouldn’t do it. Hurting from this was not worth all the safety in the world. Belle prevailed and said that her ride with Gaston had shown she could grow to talk with her future husband. As long as they only ever talked about him. Colette helped her move on. If this wasn’t going to be the marriage Belle deserved, they could definitely make the wedding something out of a story book. Her greatest love affair was done and over with after many years and one mistake, but that didn’t mean her life had to be over with. She and Colette were going to make this perfect.

As the ogres grew closer during the next year, Belle and her mother planned a wedding. The colors were to be gold and red and she wanted a private arrangement. The engagement party could be anything, she didn’t care. As long as she had roses for the bouquet and the honeymoon was one weekend where they didn’t have to look at each other. Organization ultimately stopped whenever Colette’s dear friend Mr ZoSo passed on and there was no funeral held. Rumpelstiltskin and Milah had apparently married. Stories was that Milah was pregnant. Things were slowly slipping downhill, so Belle handed details for her wedding off to the official event organizer. Colette didn’t argue with her, either. She seemed particularly distracted, but regained tradition of reading to Belle every night before bed. They fell asleep together most nights. Hero remained on Belle’s nightstand.

In the middle of one night when the moon was exceptionally high a few days before her wedding, Belle was shaken awake by a maid. The ogres were right outside their door and they needed to leave immediately. Colette was nowhere to be found, Maurice and Gaston were leading the charge outside of the castle, the town was being evacuated. Belle ran downstairs in her pajamas and found Colette hiding from an ogre. She motioned for Belle to run away and hide, but Belle couldn’t do it. She tiptoed quietly towards her mother, lest the ogre heard and killed them both here and now. She crawled under the dining room table and embraced Colette. Both held tears in their eyes, Colette promising everything was going to be alright. She urged Belle to be brave and kind no matter what happened in the future. The final cataclysm of Belle’s dark times struck immediately after. 

Everything else went black.

When Belle awoke several days later, there were people surrounding her. Nurses and doctors attending to her sore body. She couldn’t remember a thing that would cause what made everything ache and twist so much. She remembered the kingdom being attacked, but not much else. The doctors allowed her to sit up and helped her walk around until she began asking for her mother and father. They sat her down and sent for Maurice. That was all she truly needed to hear before understanding what happened. When she was sick or hurting with a tiny scraped knee, they always got her mother. Maurice didn’t know how to handle an emotional turmoil. He arrived in her room wearing black. Mourning clothes. They’d had the funeral already. Belle rolled over and let the feeling inside of her behind the ribs stay caged until she was left alone.

That was the way she stayed for a long time after that. Belle didn’t eat or sleep, she didn’t want to. Eventually, Gaston arrived and sat by her bed side. He made a comment that she desperately needed to shower. If Belle hadn’t known any better she might think he was trying to make her feel better. At his saying that, however, she got up and dragged her feet towards the bathroom where she showered. It wouldn’t bring her mother back, making Gaston not smell her. Being good and kind and brave wouldn’t change anything. But whatever. It didn’t matter much anymore. Belle wrapped a housecoat around her body and walked back into her room thinking Gaston had left. He was still sitting in the same place she left him. He looked at her with a smile. Genuine. Not the proud ‘I’m Gaston’ smile. She returned a strained one to least try while she changed behind the partition.

“I lost my mom when I was young, too. I think that-”

“Can you hold me?” Belle didn’t want advice or words of encouragement right now. She was starving for affection that her father would never give her for the best. 

Gaston stood and walked over to the other side of the bed. He took off his shoes and slipped under the covers. He held Belle close. They both knew nothing was going on or going to happen. Belle just needed this right now. He dared kissed her shoulder, but that was it. Not for the first time in a year, Belle pictured he was someone else entirely. She began crying what she thought were silent tears. He reached up from her waist to clean off her cheeks. That earned him a genuine smile from her. He instructed her on deep breaths which she choked on. It had been a very long time since Belle had exhaled properly and her lungs almost forgot how. She snuggled into him. People were right. She could learn to stand to be in the same room with him over time. For the sake of the kingdom. For the sake of her sanity. This could happen. Which was good, considering there was plans of another ogre attack on the kingdom before their wedding.

Belle fell asleep like that and dreamed of nothing anymore. Sleeping at all was a miracle, so it didn’t really matter to her. When she woke up it wasn’t Gaston that she noticed. Near Hero on the nightstand was a rose in a glass case that hadn’t been there before. A note card instructed her to read it. She shifted out of Gaston’s hold and flipped on the light. She flipped it open and her heart dropped. Belle had spent years of her life reading this handwriting. It was only a single word, but she would recognize them anywhere at anytime even if it was decades from now. The curl of the S, the connection of the o’s, the swoop of the n were unmistakable to her. He was coming back. Belle couldn’t say she was any kind of excited or hopeful over this news, nor would she plan for it. There were bigger issues than if Rumpelstiltskin showed his face to her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to assume that Milah and Rumple getting married happened within a year, as well as Milah being out of the picture along with (baby) Baelfire. their location will be revealed eventually.


	6. The Shower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> read this while listening to A Love Suicide by Yutaka Minobe for a fun time.

The wedding was postponed for three months after the death of Lady French. Belle felt as though she had delayed it long enough and given her moment with Gaston she figured she owed him and Maurice something. What she wanted was taken out of the equation, but a small ceremony was still in order. Gaston needed regal power to take care of the ogres that he wouldn’t get until married to Belle. There would be no bachelorette or bachelor parties, but a joint wedding shower instead. Something happy to give the kingdom amid all of the chaos and sadness. This was Maurice’s idea. Gaston and Belle didn’t have any real reason not to argue it. Just a mutual understanding that their lives would always be planned out for them and they couldn’t do a damn thing about it anymore. The fairy tale aspect of this had gone away. 

Belle wore a yellow ball gown with a five layer full skirt around her waist. Sir Gaston wore a red, long tail coat and worked the room expertly. For once she was glad he was as arrogant and proud of himself. This way she didn’t have to do any of the talking. She had finally gotten to the point where she could without crying, but it was always only a manner of seconds. The pain was a deep scar across her heart metaphorically, and one on her back physically from the glass dining room table breaking against her. She had felt the indentions when she took a shower after Gaston told her she had smelled so terribly. Thinking about it now just made it a thousand times worse as she looked at the table of presents. This reminded her of the birthday party. Rumpelstiltskin was coming.

“Belle.” Lord Maurice beckoned from behind her. “Gather Gaston and meet me in the foyer.” 

Belle did as was asked and a moment later walked down the staircase holding her fiance’s elbow. In the room was their father discussing something with a man she knew very well. Not this version of him. He was standing there, trilling his r’s and looking exactly like ZoSo had years ago by her mother’s bedside. His perfect skin was now glittering beneath their lights, but it looked like it was reflecting more than sparking. His hair was now longer and curlier. His attire was that of someone not in his class. At least, not the class he was a year or so ago. As she looked at him, mouth gaping in wonder at what on earth he’d become, nothing had truly changed. Her heart still warmed in her chest. She still wanted to run over and embrace him. Her heart, her love, was still all his. 

“It’s time to pay your dues, dearie!” Rumpelstiltskin was telling Maurice. He used that word just as Colette had.

“What do we owe you, Rumpelstiltskin?” Belle tried to keep her head above her shoulders. Any moment she could swoon right back into his arms given the proper motivation. Despite him being married. Rumpelstiltskin looked at her with almost the exact same eyes and gaze he had that night by the brook. They were now an amber color instead of the perfect dark brown. They still could see straight through her.

“Payment,” he motioned towards her. “In exchange for protection!” He pointed upwards at the sky. 

“You can protect the kingdom from the ogres?” She said very doubtful. “But you couldn’t write me back one letter.”

He paused, contemplated this accusation, and looked back at her. “Right.” Belle shook her head. Resemblance didn’t matter. This was not the one who had captivated her with sweet and captivating words.

“What payment does she owe you?” Gaston stepped forward to control the situation.

“That is between me and her.” Rumpelstiltskin motioned between them. Gaston immediately unsheathed his sword and extended an arm in front of her. Rumpelstiltskin didn’t look the least bit intimidated.

“Then tell me.” Belle pressed.

“You come from a wonderfully amazing pair of negotiators, my dear.” Her jaw went slack and she turned her fiery anger on her father. “Not that one.” 

“My mother?” 

“Ding ding ding! We have a winner. Allow me to escort you to your prize.” He skipped forward and extended an elbow. Belle stepped back.

“My mother would never sell me to protect the Kingdom. She kept me from it.” 

“You are very intelligent, dearie. Truly always have been. She didn’t sell you to protect the kingdom. This place is gonna fall no matter what I do.”

“To protect _me_.” She placed a hand over her heart. Rumple’s grinning face nodded emphatically.

“Belle, don’t forget how he hurt you.” Gaston warned, reaching for her hand. 

“Oh, I’ve hurt lots of people. You are getting on the list.” He extended the offer towards Gaston. 

“Wait.” 

Belle pushed aside Gaston’s arm and stepped forward until she was right in the same distance from him as she was when they kissed. She stood there and studied him for moment. That tug that had driven her to kiss him that first time remained. Her Rumple was still there. Going with him could mean finding that. Finding the happy parts of her that he had taken away when he didn’t write her back. With him was the last time that she had been any kinds of happy without her mother. In a moment of desperation with these things in consideration, Belle made up her mind.

“I’ll go with you only to protect the kingdom.”

“That is the deal, dearie, yes. Go get your stuff and I’ll meet you outside.” That was the voice which told her he would do anything for her. She nodded, bumping his shoulder as she walked passed.

Belle went upstairs and grabbed three things after changing from her dress. The book bag her mother used to pack for the trip to the brook, Hero, and the rose Rumple had given her. She retrieved her stuff while Gaston urged her out of doing this. In a moment of bravery, Belle removed her favorite book, and gave it to him to remember her by. She pleaded for him to give it a chance and take in every single word. He had the power to make some girl very happy one day if he just learned the compassion, kindness, and understanding aspect of human decency. He promised he would keep it safe, but she took that with a grain of salt. Gaston made her another promise that he would do whatever it took to protect the kingdom and Maurice in her absence. She hugged and thanked him for everything. 

Wearing a blue dress that made it easier for travel, Belle went back downstairs. She hugged her father goodbye, asked him to please take care of himself, and then walked out of the castle without a second thought. Sure, she was a little hurt about leaving behind her home. Remaining in a place that did nothing but remind her of Colette was far too painful to stay. Every morning she waited for Colette to walk in the door for breakfast and every night she waited for Colette to come kiss her goodnight. Living in that house was much harder than regaining her ability to go on after everything had been done and over with. Belle had tried to be brave and marry Gaston, but now she had to be brave and venture down this new trek. It’s what her mother would have wanted. To do what needed to be done, she would have to.

There was no carriage waiting for her when she got to the end of the pathway. Only Rumpelstiltskin standing there looking at the moon. She walked up behind him and watched as he spun around to face her. He said nothing, but that silly looking grin on his face remained stagnate. He tried offering his arm again. This time, Belle took it. He gave an ominous warning about her needing to hold on. In a puff of smoke they were gone from the French household. Where they appeared was somewhere that had plagued her nightmares ever since she had learned ZoSo was this thing called the Dark One. He was an evil creature that could only be controlled by way of a specific dagger. Which her mother had been holding when she promised ZoSo would protect Belle. She now wondered if all of ZoSo’s debts had passed onto Rumpelstiltskin. He had certainly gotten the house and all of the riches as evidenced by them arriving at a castle ten times darker and larger than her own home.


	7. The House

“Does she live with you here?” Belle asked while trying to keep up with Rumpelstiltskin as they made their way up the steps to the Dark Castle. He slowed at this question, but didn’t stop. 

“Only in spirit, dearie.” He waved an arm and the doors opened for them.

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear about that.” Her childish jealousy had been replaced with slight guilt. 

“She’s not _dead_. Just not here physically.” They walked though a room with towering ceilings, black interior, and red carpeting. The dining room looked exactly like the one in French Castle, but different color scheme. “Go get some rest. You start work in the morning.”

Belle raised a brow and set her stuff on the chair next to him. He was seated at the dining table that contained a full service of food. “You’re not going to talk to me about anything? Why you took ZoSo’s place, why you have all this stuff, why the love of your life isn’t here?” 

“She was not the love of my life, first of all.” Rumple stated while sipping from his goblet. “Second, no.” 

Belle pulled a chair next to his and drew him to face her. “Please. I’ll work as your maid or whatever you want me to do here, just answer why you left and why you didn’t answer any of my letters? Did you really think I didn’t care for you?” 

“Sorry, dearie! Six is my quota on questions.” He stood from his chair to go do anything else, but she followed close behind. 

“If it meant nothing to you, I understand.” 

Rumple turned around, eyes glistening as he used his magic to put a grip on her throat. Nothing too tight to suffocate, but enough pressure that she could feel. He let her go immediately. As Belle felt her neck for any injury, she looked at him. If what she had just said was true, he wouldn’t have reacted the way that he did. In her rose colored glasses world, he still cared about her. At least, he had when they kissed. She placed one foot in front of the other until she was close enough to wrap her arms around him to show she still cared as well. Her first kiss derived from her first love deserved to know this. This was what she dreamed about when she was happy. As he apologized for hurting her, she played with the ends of his hair. His scaly skin didn’t bother her. This was her man. He finally returned the hold.

Belle held his arm as Rumple escorted her upstairs and let her pick out a room. She wondered how many Dark Ones had family that lived here with them. He said he had every intentions of putting her in a dungeon if she had been uncooperative about coming along with him. She had just laughed at this then sadly explained why it was so easy for her to agree. She felt his arm tense and waited for an explanation she didn’t receive. He instead procured a list of things that Belle would be doing while living here. All of which were things she had never done before a day in her life such as cooking, cleaning, making the tea for the afternoon and morning if he was feeling up for it. She didn’t want to play the role of a doting housewife to him, but she wouldn’t have anything better to do. And she figured if she kept this up long enough he would talk to her. They could get back to where they once were.

It took Belle hours to go to sleep that night. When she finally did, she had a nightmare involving her mother dying a horrible death right before her eyes. Skin ripped, bones crushed, eyes filled with tears. She woke up and exhaled a shuddering breath before the uncontrollable sobs ripped through her body. Seeing her mother that night of the first attack had taken place of every bad dream she had. She wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. She wanted to be comforted for at least a little while. She got up out of bed, wrapped a house coat around her shoulders, and walked out of the room. She found where he had said his was and knocked on the door. Not to her complete surprise, he was still awake and beckoned her in. Rumple was placing a vail over a mirror to cover it when she entered. He looked at her tear stained face and worry drew a line across his own features. Belle explained the dream and the fears of sleeping alone. He didn’t look sure, but he let her stay with him tonight. She curled up into him and continued shivering.

“Easy. Easy. It’ll be alright.” He snapped his fingers and the fireplace lit up. Belle nosed into his neck and grasped for the feeling of security and safety from him. “Every moment means something to me. You’re the only thing I can see when things go wrong.”

“It broke my heart when I heard you’d married Milah. I wanted this. I wanted you. I saw you tonight and I almost jumped into your arms.” Belle sniffled, wiping her wet eyes on his shirt.

“Things got out of control with Milah that I don’t want to get into right now. I don’t understand how or why you want to be here with me.”

“I can’t seem to give up on you.” She placed a hand on his cheek and brushed the thumb against this speckled skin. Looking into Belle’s eyes, he could see a reflection of himself which didn’t contain the messed up appearance. He was completely the man she met and kissed by the book a year ago. Close to the date.

“I will not let anything happen to you. Here, let me take care of those nasty dreams.” Rumple drew a line across her forehead with his finger. She yawned and cuddled him closer. 

“Stay with me. I like the way you feel. I love you.” Belle murmured this confessional request as she dosed into sleep. 

Rumple knew she wouldn’t remember ever saying that, but it still went straight to his darkening heart. He pressed a goodnight kiss to her cheek. No doubt she loved the man she had known last year, but there was never a possibility of it happening to him now. With Belle in his bed, however, it was quite hard to turn her away. There were parts of the old him still around that would do anything for her. He still wanted to runaway and live happily ever after with her. They couldn’t do that anymore. He had things to do, lives to ruin, some to kill. However, come heaven or hell, he would protect her. Even from her own thoughts. Tonight he gave her a lovely one with her mother by the brook to let her see Colette once more in a good light the way Lady French had wanted it. 

She had promised her first born child to ZoSo after her passing in exchange for a fixed appearance so Belle would never see her as with the sickness had done to her. Colette had known Rumpelstiltskin was the one who would end up getting her daughter and made a trusting bond with him. She asked him to leave so things could progress the way time and fortune needed them. He wasn’t the Dark One yet and if Belle had gone with him, the deal would have messed up. Rumpelstiltskin had been there the night of the attack, already the Dark One to make sure Belle saw Colette’s last act as one of bravery. Once Colette killed her, the glamour was broken. Rumpelstiltskin blacked how she had looked from Belle to continue part of the deal. With this, Maurice couldn’t back out of his wife’s wishes. Rumpelstiltskin didn’t take many of ZoSo’s last debts, but this was one of the top priorities. Belle’s safety always was and Colette was a darling bargainer. She had known more than Rumpelstiltskin even after he stole the Seer’s sight.

When he woke up next, it was to Belle bright and early in the morning bringing him a tray of breakfast. She set it on his lap and kissed his cheek good morning. She had made him the runniest eggs and toast, which she burned to a solid piece of coal, along with a pot of tea. It had been so weak it might as well had been sweetened water, but he drank it anyway. He would let her find cookbooks in the library later after she had done the rest of her chores. Until then, he had work to do. He ate his breakfast with a lot of struggle while she figured out how to do the laundry. Rumple wouldn’t be back home until late that night, but he still expected dinner on the table. After Belle promised she would try her best at even wanting to play maid for him, he magically left a key in her pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is such a fun series to write. i hope you guys are enjoying it as much as i am writing it.


	8. The Body

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They attempt to smut.

It takes a few days for a routine to settle in, but Belle adjusts to the new life fairly easy. Every morning she would kiss Rumpelstiltskin's cheek before slipping out of the bed they slept next to each other in. Sometimes he would wake and join to watch her hustle about the kitchen getting breakfast ready, other times he'd make a noise and go back to sleep. Once or twice a month he would tug her back with him. Never for anything, just the comfort. She had been studying cookbooks to get better at it and chastised him for not telling her anything was wrong that first time. Now it took her lass than thirty minutes to get it cooked and presentable. Afterward, she would clean the house and polish his antique collectibles scattered through the house. So much had happened for him in a single year. He had gotten married (didn't hurt) had a child (nope not at all) and lost them both so quickly. Belle had wished for him, but didn't mean for it to be at such a cost. Now she knew not to take advantage of their time together. She learned to be down in the foyer at different times each day to welcome him home. If he wasn't carrying anything, she'd even greet him with a simple cheek peck. Tonight, however, was a different story. Tonight she was in the mood for a little something extra. 

The Castle was in tiptop perfect running order with dinner on the table after cleaning the sheets, dusting the shelves and sweeping the floors. She was walking through the foyer when the doors opened. She set down her tray of tea and walked over to greet him. Belle took his hands in hers and pulled him nearer. Rumpelstiltskin remained still and let her do what she willed. Belle engaged a tantalizing slow dance until he picked up what she was doing. He asked if she got the laundry done and the cleaning and the cooking and if she took a look at that garden yet. She confessed she'd been so busy planning for this that she hadn't had the time. He scolded her, reminding Belle that she needed to work for him or else there was nobody and no place for her to go if he kicked her out for disobedience. She just smiled and deeply apologized as he dipped her back. She exposed her neck for him and savored the slow rise up. She smiled, feeling everything was right, and she kissed his lips. He watched her kiss him for a brief second before he began returning it. She looked beautiful, provocative with her pouty lips and perfect teeth. He imagined that he didn't look anything remotely attractive when kissing somebody. The two people he ever had was her and Milah, who he definitely never retrieved a complaint or otherwise from. But Belle hummed, leaned into him, and drained he darkness out of him. When she opened her eyes, her smile faded and she quickly drew back.

"How? What... I don't understand." Belle shook her head. A trembling hand reached up to touch his face. Underneath her fingertips, he didn't feel the rough leather lizard type flesh of his skin. It soon crawled back as if excited by her attention. Rumple didn't understand himself, but could put two and two together. Belle was a powerful sorceress who could seduce ability out of anyone. Perhaps she didn't know it yet, but he could train her. 

"You're a strong woman. Tell me what causes your hand to shake like that?" He thought it might be do to her feeling power build up which may frighten her, as it would anybody.

"You were... You didn't look like this. You were just a man like the last time I kissed you." She tried explaining, tracing his features with her hands. Her touch was exquisitely inviting. Temptress fit her well. "I knew a person long ago that had this texture. Do all Dark Ones have it?" 

"There's but one Dark One, dearie, but yes. My knowledge is they do." He watched the cogs in her mind turn as she moved his face this way and that like he were a cabbage she might buy. "What are you doing." 

"Just looking. Is this all over your body?" Her thoughts transitioned into something else. 

A false smile stretched across his face. His eyes squinted as if studying her now. "Frightening, isn't it?" 

"Not at all. Just interesting." Belle thought aloud. Her hands moved to hold his waist. Then they began to fiddle with his shirt nervously. "I'd like to see if you were ever comfortable with it." 

Her low voice became another reason for his suspicions that she was some sort of land siren that took magic instead of killing men. A far worse fate, he believed, but one he did not fear with her. Quite the contrary. "If. For now," he clapped his hands together and began walking towards the dining room. "Dinner!" 

Belle sat at his side that night after they ate (maliciously, accidentally, teasing each other with the way mouths moved) while he worked at his spinning wheel. She saved her laundry for her downtime to always make sure his was done first. Right now she was folding stockings and socks watching his fingers spun thread into perfection. He could easily do it magically, but she had never seen it done that way. Rumple would peek over every now and then to watch her roll the undergarments so they could fit in her drawers later. Both acts were menial to the person performing them, but the other was lost in a state of lustful sensuality. Partially due to the fact of their kiss and Belle wanting to see more of him. She finally stood and carried the basket in a way that inadvertently showcased her breasts and hurried up to what was meant to be her room. She rarely slept in there. Waking up next to him, engulfed in his perfect scent, was far better. He had taken away her nightmares and replaced them with dreams of burning desire. Always of him in either form ravishing her body until she woke and started her day by showering to relieve herself. One of her favorites started with him at that spinning wheel. Watching him tonight could have done her in. Belle could feel the need to touch herself rising between her thighs, but she couldn't yet. She could play with him though.

Downstairs, Rumple grunted after rubbing himself out of his painful lust for his perfect friend and gorgeous maid. His power was insanely attracted to how much she could hold over and revert him back to a normal man at her wish. He thought of her often, more than he really should. His son was conceived through Milah by thinking about being with Belle. His ex - wife had enough of him fantasizing about 'that repressed slut who probably let any man nice to her fuck her'. Rumple denied this as true, but his lies always caught up with him. The cowardice of being alone in his life had rendered him into marrying Milah. Immediately after hearing Rumple injured himself to get out of war, she ran off with some guy in a bar and their son and he hadn't seen them since. He didn't want Bae to lose a father, he didn't want Belle to lose her mother and friend before they could see each other again, and he didn't want to die. Gaining Belle had fulfilled him only a little, but not in the largest part of his life. As she walked into the dining room wearing her nightclothes, she tested him greatly. He magicked himself clean in the trousers before she could appear at his side. She didn't need a dagger to control him, but he kind of wished she would. All Belle did was lean forward and kiss his neck. 

"I'll be sleeping in my room if you get scared." She whispered heat against his ear. "Please knock, though. I might be compromised." 

Rumple turned to look her square in the eyes. Her bright blue marbles were dark with something he had never seen before. "Sweet dreams." 

That apparently was the light that lit the fuse, because she pushed her lips into his once more. This one wasn't sweet and careful. It was passion, lust, heat, maybe for him, maybe for repression sake. She straddled his lap and pushed into his waist, moaning feeling him half erect and only getting harder. He couldn't take it either. He broke the kiss to keep some magic to use on her body. He hitched up her skirts and tugged on her waist. The angel donned in white buried into his neck as her hips worked into his. One of Rumple’s hands pressed into the back of her head while his thumb moved in pressing circles against her clit. Belle was completely wet, her body nothing but willing and ready for him to have her. The hand holding her steady waved behind as he sensed someone coming towards the doors. Soon enough there was loud banging on them. The wrong voice was calling his name for him to open up the damn doors. Unable to focus solely on her, Rumple moved his hand from her pleading cunt. Belle shook her head almost apologetically and pecked his lips right before he transported her up to her room. In a dark fit of fury, Rumpelstiltskin blasted the doors open after removing Belle’s scent from him. His anger only grew seeing the tall and handsome warrior Colette had warned him about. A look of disgust placated on Rumple’s face to hide the internal jealousy. It couldn’t cover the fact that Gaston LeGume was not welcome here. Looking around while Gaston gave a speech about ‘the greater good’ and saw with actual surprise the big idiot arrived with no army or any help. With a flick of his wrist, Rumpelstiltskin turned him into a rose. Belle at least deserved someone who would fight for her without relying on the lack of charm or reputation. He knew that Maurice French was too cowardly to do the same thing and would send more if he didn’t warn them off. Rumpelstiltskin burned the rose into a pile of ashes and placed them in a box. He sent it away in a puff of smoke and began waiting for the day that Lord French found out the Dark One, dirty and grimy little Rumpelstiltskin, was about to give his daughter the night of her life.


	9. The Interim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very short chapter to set up for the next one i believe should stand on its own.

Since becoming the Dark One that could make any wish but his own come true, Rumpelstiltskin had seen many princess requiring his assistance. All gloated to be the most beautiful in all the lands of Jefferson’s hat, but he knew not one compared to Belle. As someone who took names to mean something, she was an added plus. Kindhearted and understanding, brave and strong, and completely blind to him being the most evil monster that ever lived. He’d killed more than he could count and ruined more lives than probably necessary for looking at him wrong. Somehow no matter what happened to him in the last year didn’t matter to her. She still saw him as the man by the brook before everything went so terrible. She still wanted him. As he took the stairs two at a time up to finish what they'd started, he couldn't be more happy.

Explaining the dagger she was currently holding in her hand was a bit of a predicament. 

“My mother had one just like this.” 

Maybe she already knew. Maybe she wouldn’t ask.

He didn’t know which was worse.

“She had it just before she miraculously got better. Almost like…”

Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.

Belle looked from it to him.

“Tell me what it is.”

“A dagger, dearie.” The quick, avoiding answer didn’t go over her head as natural.

“Tell me how you got this dagger.”

“By killing the previous Dark One.” 

Belle’s reaction should have been predicted. ZoSo was someone who she had met and was on good terms. With her that meant they were as good as friends. She blanched and looked like she was going to be sick the way she lurched forward. She got up off his bed and went towards the window to push it open. She gasped for air and he watched tears falling down from her face. If she knew what he did to complete strangers she wouldn’t even be anywhere near him. Belle should fear him. She should want to run away at the mere grotesqueness of his appearance, never mind his actions. She would no longer seek comfort in his arms and rightfully so. She had dropped the dagger, but he was still petrified of her. Love and dark magic were not synonymous. He didn’t know how many Dark Ones previously had been in such a predicament, but he felt there weren’t that many. 

“Is this what you’ve been doing the last year?” It wasn’t entirely a question, but he felt she needed the answer. Belle was going to leave after this and never return. He wasn’t entirely prepared, but it might be for her own good.

“Yes. Would you like to hear the longer story?” 

“You’re asking me that question?”


	10. The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING. PLEASE READ.
> 
> This chapter contains some language that might be viewed as offensive towards physically disabled persons. 
> 
> If you are one of these people, please skip over the part where it begins "Stop! Stop! Wh-what are you doing?" and continue reading (if you'd like) a few lines down at "Alright, alright. Get out of here. Out, you've had your fun."

“Okay, I’m going to give you a lifeline here.” Milah practiced while Rumpelstiltskin was at the ball having the time of his life meeting his darling pen pal.

She had thought of a thousand and one ways to phrase this accurately to make it sound like he should be with her instead of chasing some pipe dream. She knew it would ultimately end with him wasting his entire life wishing on a star. In order to do that, she had to use some of her feminine wiles. She dressed in a red gown he had made for her birthday two years ago. It was a little small around the hips but it didn’t really matter as long as it got him attracted to her. There was going to be a great ogre war soon and all of the women in the town were so excited to have their men going off to fight in defense of the town. A lot of them were signing up to guard the castle under Lord LeGume and his son (panty dropper) Gaston, but that was the last place she wanted Rumpelstiltskin to go. He deserved to be at the front. He deserved to die a hero. And oh, wouldn’t that make her such a vulnerable widow? Milah, along with the other soldier wives, wouldn’t have to lift a finger ever again. She had her eye on one.

Milah waited in his home for the special surprise. She heard Rumpelstiltskin burst through the door and lean back against it. He pushed a hand through his hair and sniffled a little bit, but wasn’t crying over whatever happened. Fantastic. Now she would have to pretend as though she actually cared how Belle French’s birthday party went. It took her a moment to realize this was actually just going to work in her benefit. The little darling had obviously left him out of his mind. Perhaps she had realized going after men five years her senior was a tad bit strange. Especially at eighteen and twenty three. Maybe she finally let Gaston LeGume into her pants and the rumor she’d gotten pregnant was true. She was a little bit disappointed when Rumpelstiltskin, with exasperation, told her that Belle had just gotten engaged. Right after Rumple had kissed her, apparently. Milah covered her mouth to hide the smile. Once she composed herself, she walked over and hugged her longtime friend.

“I’m going to mess up your pretty dress, I’m sorry.” He fumbled to straighten himself and apologize. So weak, they both thought of him. To cry over a girl. “Were you planning on going out? Don’t let me get in your way.”

“Darling, I wouldn’t leave you here to suffer all on your own.” Milah brought Rumpelstiltskin back onto her fully exposed breasts. “I…” She struggled on the words. “I love you. It’s so hard for me to see you like this.”

Rumpelstiltskin was a lot of desperate in that moment. He had never been told that someone loved him. It wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world, if Milah felt that way. She was certainly beautiful. Long dark hair, painfully gorgeous eyes, a full figure. They knew every last little detail about each other anyway. He kissed her. There was no reason not to. The woman he wanted to be kissing was in the arms of a better man, as well she should be. The moment that he thought of her, she didn’t leave. The longer Milah had her lips, her body, flush against him and his, the more Belle appeared. Quite soon he was removing Belle’s shirt, ripping it just slightly as it didn’t fit quite right anymore. It was Belle that tasted like wine. It was Belle who undressed and begged for him over and over until the morning sun. It was Belle that made him climax inside of her with no pretension or worry for the future. In the morning he was left alone with his shame and no woman lying next to him. He felt this strange instantly. Normally those that loved someone wouldn’t leave the morning after unless things were truly terrible. Were they? Was he?

Milah returned a few weeks later in a very different situation than initially planned. She had wanted to use sex as a bargaining chip to get Rumpelstiltskin to do whatever she wanted. Now she had something much more grand, but at a desperate cost. Bringing a pregnant woman aboard a pirate’s ship was not something that Killian was willing to bargain for her. She had gone to him right after Rumple went to sleep and in truth couldn’t tell who the father was. It didn’t really matter anyway. Killian was leaving port without her very soon, knew what she was messing with at home, and claimed to have no malicious qualms over the ordeal. Rumple, however, would see her swelling belly and atomically assume. What she didn’t know was that he would propose marriage immediately to her so she could keep a tasteful reputation and wouldn’t have her life ruined. Milah had no other choice but to agree. If the baby was Killian’s she didn’t want to give it up and there was no real way of figuring that out.

“I’ve been drafted, Milah! I’ve been drafted to go fight in the ogre war!” His excitement was adorable. He ran over and knelt by her stomach to ‘show that baby’ the paper. “Your papa is going to be a great fighter. I will come home to you soon, little one.” 

With his new bride Milah waiting diligently at home, Rumpelstiltskin went through basic training. This being for an ogre war and not a voluntary effort to join the army, they were put through a shorter version of preparation. He met with other soldiers that were going to the front line alongside him instead of guarding the castle. They ran through field exercises and learned the importance of teamwork and communication to be able to get the work done. Week two they went through marksmanship and rappelling exercises to develop their confidence. Week three was weapons training and participating in Night Infiltration Courses for the majority of their battle. Week four, Milah at three months pregnant, they were graduated basic training and were meant to embark on Advanced Individual Training. Rumpelstiltskin was part of the section which skipped this part. The ogres were growing closer, but he didn’t meet one soldier that was afraid. Himself included. This was an honor.

He met the Seer for the first time officially when being shown around the camp. She spoke of his son growing up fatherless no matter what he did tonight. Rumpelstiltskin had a decision to make. An injury would result in his going home, if it was major enough. Milah would understand if it was self-inflicted. She loved him so much and would want their family to be together. He looked at a large sized tool and thought for a long moment on which pain would be worse. He could not let his son grow up without a father. That was one of the most horrific pains that Rumpelstiltskin had ever felt himself. He couldn’t let Milah be like the other soldier’s wives and experience such a turmoil of heartbreak. The driving force to plant that weapon into his leg was nothing to do with Belle. It was Milah telling him that she loved him and their precious, perfect, unborn son. As he cried out in pain after the bones shattered at the weight and he collapsed, he thought of nothing else. Her words. Her comfort during his heartbreak. Their son which would have a father that he loved more than anything else in this world.

That Rumple didn’t lose the leg was a miracle. Walking on it without a limp would never happen again, they said. They gave him a dishonorable discharge and sent him on his way. Milah would understand, but he hid it under his cloak. He then began the long and perilous journey home. He marked the days passing on different trees that he passed. The time in the infirmary equated to Milah being close to five months. There would be a mostly complete baby in her stomach. He called the son Baelfire, for the bonfires that signaled him closer and closer to town. Baelfire would look completely like his mother, Rumple hoped. He would have her kindness and loving spirit. He would be so perfect raised by a two parent household. On the nights that he felt like crawling to the next mile marker, he kept that thought in his mind. Baelfire was perfection. There wasn’t a soul alive that deserved better. They wouldn’t have much, him working as a spinner, but they would make it honest and good. The reputation might have tarnished him, but it gave a new life. A new chapter. A new-

Milah wasn’t there when he came home.   
A few men were standing outside of the little shack. All of them were dressed in black. They were laughing while throwing Molotov cocktails into his windows to set the entire place on fire.

“Stop! Stop! Wh-what are you doing?” Rumple called from his hidden place in the shadows. One of the men turned around. Pearly white teeth glistened in the moonlight.

“Ah! There’s the little gimp now. You just missed Milah. Such a shame. She was giving out so many free jobs tonight.” The men laughed behind him.

“Milah? Did you hurt her? Did you hurt my wife?” 

“Me? Oh no. I’ve made her feel quite good actually. It’s you, gimp. You hurt her. You drove her away.” The man walked closer. Due to his leg, Rumple was now a head shorter than him. The man leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose. “Would you like to know whose got their head between her legs now?” 

“Please. Please, she’s pregnant with my son.” 

“Oh, that’s such a laugh! Are you so sure that’s even your son? What would a woman like Milah do with you? You can’t even satisfy her in bed. Especially not now.” The man used his own cane to tap at Rumpelstiltskin’s. He wobbled, earning some laughs as Rumple fell down on the ground. 

“If you really want to know…kiss my shoe. I’ll bring you to her myself as a show of camaraderie.” The man shoved the toe of his boot into Rumpelstiltskin’s mouth. He spit the dirt and smoky soot out onto the ground and looked up to him with pleading eyes. He looked between the shoe and the man.

“I beg you, sir. Please just tell me where she is.”

“Alright, alright. Get out of here. Out! Out, you’ve had your fun.” A lowly old man’s voice came from behind Rumpelstiltskin.

Their laughter stopped. They disappeared quickly.

Rumpelstiltskin would come to know this man quite well. The Beggar helped rebuild the home with magic he promised to teach Rumple after being allowed to stay for the night in payment. The Beggar spoke of a dagger which was in position of Lady French. This weapon would help Rumple obtain his true love and his son. The ogres would attack the French Castle within the next two days. This would kill Lady French, but he was instructed not to interfere. Colette’s sickness would change her appearance out of a glamour she sold her daughter for to keep Belle from seeing her this way. Rumple would want to save them, but it wasn’t in his destiny. These were Colette’s wishes to die a hero. Sooner than he thought, the Beggar claimed no one would think Rumple a coward any longer. He didn’t say it, but Rumpelstiltskin took this as meaning Milah would return with their unborn son. She would have to if he obtained the dagger and became all that the Beggar said he could. The wound of her being gone was still fresh, but stitching closed moment by moment. This was all that he had left. All he had to do was summon the name on the blade, the Beggar promised.

Sneaking into the French Castle was the easy part. Moving quickly and quiet was a specialty he didn’t know he had, but it must be a package deal for cowards who didn’t want to be seen or heard. He traipsed the grounds he hadn’t been to in so long. Seven months would be a full year. The letters Belle had sent him were still stacked neatly in a box out of fear of her angry words. He couldn’t bring himself to read them at all. After he obtained this mysterious power, he would be brave enough to face her again. But, how could he when he knew that her mother was about to die? How could he not do anything right now? The Beggar had warned against it and sworn this was Colette’s wishes, but he could've been just another swindling liar trying to obtain something that wasn’t his. Maybe he didn’t have to do this at all. Maybe-

A crash of glass sounded from behind him. He turned to see Belle lying unconscious and Colette grabbed up by the ogre as a sign of self sacrifice. The beast distracted, Rumpelstiltskin pressed forward without trying to make a sound. He reached for the dagger, but first noted how busted up and bleeding Belle was. He crawled forward and kissed her cheek with a promise to come for her when he could. Belle would need time to mourn after this that he didn’t want to interrupt. Rumpelstiltskin turned away before he could see true love’s kiss healing her injuries. He was too busy escaping with the rest of the soldiers. First, he whistled for one of them to come get Belle out of this. Rumpelstiltskin clutched tight to the dagger. He hobbled outside and went to his and Belle’s place. The clearing by the brook. He held the knife high above his head to read in the moonlight.

“ZoSo. I summon thee.” 

“Well done, my friend.” The Beggar suddenly appeared. Rumple turned around and gaped.

“You? Was this some trick? Actually a test to see if I would do as you asked?” The Beggar then transformed in a man exactly like Belle’s letters. Golden scaly skin, amber eyes, two feet taller than himself, black cloak and all. Her dear ZoSo.

“You made it easy given your track record. A princess asks you to meet in secret because of her shame towards you after five years of letters. A woman just says she loves you and you bend to her every whim. You deserve to be alone and you know.” 

Rumpelstiltskin never felt any kind of anger than he did then. It had indeed been all a lie. Perhaps this weapon in his hand wasn’t even a danger at all. Blinded by red hatred, Rumple drove the dagger into ZoSo’s chest. Ignited by the Dark One’s words he hadn’t been able to control himself. This was the first time he’d ever killed a thing in his life. Not even a bug. He found it easy. As the powers of the night flooded into his body, giving him abilities he’d never before imagined even playing as a child, it made things even simpler. For his first act, as well as one which would grow to be one of his favorites, he would exact his revenge on those that humiliated him a few nights before. He returned home to kill those that were hanging around his house, finding all of them but the main one. He swore an oath to stop at nothing, even going so far as to sacrifice the entire world, to get his son back. Upon this, the Seer appeared to state that the future she saw had occurred. Not only to him, but to Lady Colette. When the Seer didn’t know anything about Baelfire, she offered him her sight ability which he took with great haste. Her last words warned not to interfere with Belle until the time was right.

In the meantime, Rumpelstiltskin procured a great castle for himself to live. Baelfire would love it, he hoped, if he did actually take after his mother. Milah always wanted the finer things in life. He didn’t want her anymore. All he wanted was the child he’d been waiting for. The one thing he could love. All that he had possibly ever loved. No matter where this child was, Baelfire didn’t deserve to grow up in a world of war. After the castle was finished, he used his new powers to confront the ogres and create a deal. The amount of honor he earned from doing such an act also came with fear and intolerance. People would accidentally bump into him and he’d turn them into slugs and squish them. He traveled across lands until it was time to collect Belle from an inherited debt. A potion of his changed the wrong set of parents into puppets, which he delightfully placed in his castle. He cursed King George’s wife to be barren so, they would need one of the two twins birthed by a farmer to keep the place afloat. He had seen one of them with a promising future he wanted to meddle in dearly. He taught a miller’s daughter to spin straw into gold in exchange for her first born child as well. If Milah wasn’t so fresh in his mind still, he thought he might have a future with this Cora.

That train of thought abruptly ended with, via a mirror in Belle’s room, he saw her sleeping near her fiance. He didn’t watch her often, just lately to see how she was doing. There should have been a way for him save both mother and daughter. The guilt was consuming and while it helped with his magic, it meant nothing if she was miserable. He sent her a rose just out of a tiny speck of hope she might understand. Rumpelstiltskin stayed up all night to watch her. He didn’t care if it was stalker-like or perverse. Despite what Gaston might think, that was his Belle. He saw her pain from nightmares. He saw her tears when she was alone. He saw everything that she wanted to be comforted from. Soon, he hoped. Just two weeks until the one year. Baelfire would be three months to the day when Rumpelstiltskin went to obtain Belle as part of the deal with ZoSo to protect her under Colette’s orders.

A year had done her well. Pure perfection.


	11. The Queen

“I’m not going to say what you’ve done is right by any means.” Belle began. She had since moved from her spot by the window for a cool breeze to sitting next to him on their bed. A dangerous position, considering what had almost transpired before Gaston interrupted. 

“But…?”

“But you have done what you did from pain and losing a child. I don’t know what I would do in the same situation.” She tried making sense of it as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I still believe in the man I fell in love with when I look at you. If this is what my mother wanted, then…” 

Rumpelstiltskin reached up and stroked her cheek for comfort. “I killed Gaston.” She sat up and looked to him, slack jawed.

“That’s a bit of an overreaction for intrusion.” 

“He was coming to take you away.” 

Belle imagined that might be romantic in a storybook, but she shook her head. “I wouldn’t have left then, but that’s my decision to make isn’t it?” 

“Not when you’re dealt to me, dearie.” All of their progress with getting him to open up had now gone too far? What were her terms and conditions?

“Is that all I am? Do I have no choice? It’s be here with you or nowhere?” Belle stood, incredulous and unbelieving he had flipped like this.

The correct answer here obviously wasn’t that was exactly right. “No.” She saw right through that one as well. She rolled her eyes when he reached for her hands and pulled her back with him. “You create the man that used to be here. When I’m with you, you’re my light. You keep me warm until here. I don’t want threats losing you.”

There was the right way to say that. Belle found his cracked and insecure heart and brought it out from him. She was still unhappy with him actually killing her fiance out of…jealousy maybe. She should be angry and storm out and let him understand how that was wrong. Right now, she couldn’t do it. He had told her the truth about everything. Granted, it was because the dagger she held controlled and made him. Getting angry would only scare her strange little man into retreating back into what made him feel safe. She had to remain kind and understanding. Later Gaston being killed by him would register in her mind, but for now, there was a lot to take in. She needed to rest for a little bit and relax. Alone. Belle stood and kissed his cheek to bid him goodnight.

“I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

While lying down in bed in her own room, Belle pretended she didn’t hear the crashing of furniture and glass coming from down the hall. She heard his explosive tantrum fits quite often since living in the Dark Castle so it was never anything shocking or scary anymore as it once might had been. She felt a bit guilty as though she were responsible for how he handled his emotions, but remained firm. She couldn’t go running back to forgive him each time he made a mistake. He’d killed ZoSo and the Seer, two people that had always been around in her life, as well as her fiance. She’d never actually cared for Gaston, but he didn’t deserve this. Nobody did. Rumple had hurt her with his confession in more ways than just one. He had slept with Milah without giving Belle any chance to explain. True, it was because Colette had wished it, but that didn’t seem right to her. Her emotional scars were bleeding deep tonight. She needed time.

That night there were no sex dreams about him. She was in bed facing the window where Rumple was sitting next to. His knuckles were bruised and tears were slowly falling down his cheeks. Everything about the appearance was gold and diamonds. There was a beauty to his pain. Belle walked over and made herself comfortable sitting across his lap. She was completely weak to him in her dreams. She didn’t know how hard it was for him to open up for her, dagger or no dagger, and wished there was a way for him to understand her emotions towards him hadn’t changed. She still loved him. It was her mental state which needed to adjust. Here there wasn’t any of that. Here there was just the two of them. Rumple was easy to be with now there wasn’t anything real going on. He leaned against her chest and they looked out unto the moon together in complete, comfortable silence.

They didn’t speak with each other for the next few days. Namely because Rumpelstiltskin made himself scarce. Belle didn’t seem him in the mornings for their tea time or at dinner. She got a lot more reading in than she ever had. After dinner was set and the objects were polished, Belle retreated into the library of his grand castle. She believed the room had been there since her arrival, but hadn’t been able to find the room until the key somehow had gotten into her pocket. There was an entire sitting area that let her curl up with a book until she was too exhausted to evens comprehend the words in front of her. For more and more nights she would pass out in the library, but wake up in her own room. She had a sneaking suspicion that Rumple had a hand in that, but didn’t confront him over it. He was making a valiant effort for this and she appreciated.

Belle was carrying a laundry basket through the house when she heard voices. A strange occurrence, seeing as they never got too many visitors around. She set her work down and quickly went through the doors to see what was going on. Rumpelstiltskin was sitting at the dining table with a beautiful upset woman pacing around the room. He had on his facade persona of being eccentric, powerful, trilling his r’s and making grand gestures. She didn’t want him facing this woman alone. She walked into the living room, ignoring the risk of what this was about, and went to stand next to him. Rumpelstiltskin kept the false grin glued to his face, but his eyes were sincere.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I was wondering if our guest would like some tea?” She asked to cover for the real reason. 

“That would be lovely. Thank you.” The woman nodded. Belle smiled, patting Rumpelstiltskin’s shoulder. His eyes had barely left watching her since she came in.

“No, no. You always mess it up.” Rumple conjured up a set and motioned for the two women to join him at the table. Belle handed them a cup before sitting herself down. She reached over and took his hand for support knowing he hadn’t meant what he’d said. They both made tea the exact same way, but hers always ended up being better somehow.

“Are you sure we should discuss this in front of others?” The woman asked, seemingly nervous about it.

“Whatever is going on, I can handle it.” She assured, brushing her thumb against his. “My name is Belle. I’m the caretaker here.”

“Delighted to meet you. I am Regina Mills.” 

“Princess Regina is getting married to King Leopold. Quite unwillingly.” Rumple pouted in her direction.

“That’s terrible. Can you do anything?” Belle asked, lacing their fingers. His pressed into the back of her hand causing an insurgence of emotion straight to her heart.

“I was thinking of a wedding gift.” She and Regina gave him a look. “A looking glass for the honeymoon, of course. Just a simple push through to another realm.” 

“I don’t want to hurt anybody.” Regina denied, worrying where this was going. 

“No, no. It would just send them to another place. Poof!” He moved his free hand in a half circle above the table. 

“And what would you want in return for helping me?” Regina’s voice was still lilted, but her arms crossed over her chest. Belle had met angrier kittens.

“Aside from never barging in my home ever again? Nothing as of yet.” 

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Regina rushed over to hug him. Belle withdrew her hand to keep it secret, but he held her tight and just halted Regina’s attempt at thanks. Regina stopped, her bliss not corrupted as she clasped her hands together. She left while backing out of the room. 

“I don’t like you being near my deals.” Rumpelstiltskin stated while they were still sitting next to each other.

“I don’t like you encouraging getting rid of people as a means of solving problems.” Belle pointed out with a raised brow. Her features softened as he looked down at their hands still clutched to each other. “But…I…This is hard. Between you killing Gaston, ZoSo, the Seer, sleeping with Milah. It all hurts.”

“The one Regina is going to push into that mirror, you would dislike her as well. She’s not good. She’s not soft or kind or warm. She’s powerful and will hurt you. I and Regina need her gone. Simple.” Rumple said this while caressing her cheek that she leaned into. “How have you been?”

“I miss you. I’m a little lost right now, but I know how I feel about you.” 

“You feel a way about me?”

“I’m in love with you. That’s all I really know.”


	12. The Antidote

"You're..." He couldn't bring himself to say the words. Belle appeared to realize this and just nodded. All at once everything clicked. She wasn't a sorceress and it wasn't her containing magic that had begun to revert him into his true form. It was her...

"Love." Rumple said out loud. Not hearing his thought process to understand, she gave him a curios look while nodding. He leaned forward and hugged her. She easily returned the adoring embrace. "The last time..."

"Was Milah. You conceived Baelfire with her. But look at me." She moved to face him. "This is not like that. This is the way it should have been." 

"I don't think she was telling the truth."

"Do you think I am?" She asked, just to be sure. Rumple nodded. 

"You've told me before, I do know that you're not a good liar." His teeth grin spread across his face. 

"It was an accident! It tipped over the sink and chipped!" Belle defended herself once more. When they were not speaking with each other, he accused her of breaking his dishes on purpose. Now as he motioned for her, Belle knew he was teasing. She stood and placed herself in his lap where she hugged his neck. 

"When you said you were showing me the grounds to your father, actually. It's funny. Your face did the same lying thing when you told me you'd only leave home to protect your kingdom."

"If you'd only written me back one letter, I'd have jumped into your arms deal or no deal." 

Rumple pressed a kiss against her jawline that made her shudder. It was like he was touching her with an added punch of magic to sweep her off her feet. Belle craned her neck to introduce their mouths again. A long, slow motion, lungs burning, introduction, before she pulled back. She reveled in the brief moment of seeing him human before the more traditionally unappealing features set back in. Her most handsome hero, through and through. She didn't want to take away his abilities, that was his decision. Any moment spent with him like this was well worth it. Nobody held her like this or looked at her like that. Nobody whispered her name or had to catch their breath in awe of being with her. She didn't think herself anything too special to gawk at, not until these kinds of nights with him. Rumple didn't care how she looked, why should she with him? He wanted her with every beat of his darkening heart regardless of if she was sweaty from work or dolled up for dinner together. Belle wished to return the same courtesy and the exact same emotions. They could work on this. He could work on this.

After Belle fell asleep next to him that night, Rumpelstiltskin removed himself from her big-spooning him. She mumbled her annoyance at this but went straight back to sleep. He went downstairs to the main floor and in the dining room moved aside a painting Belle had claimed her favorite. It hid a safe that contained an unused baby blanket and a locked sterling silver box. A woman he’d known briefly had several of them she kept hearts in. If (when) anything got messy, he planned on putting his or Belle’s heart in this one. For now it contained her letters tied neatly with a bow. Her perfume was still scented over them as part of one of the many spells he charmed it with. Another turned the ink invisible lest the wrong person get their hands on them. The bow would set anyone other than him and Belle’s hands on fire as an added measure. 

There were eight letters in total. One sent the morning after her birthday party and another for each day after for a week. He conjured an empty photo book that could hold each letter in its sleeve with an empty space between for his reply. He placed himself back to that time and wrote like he should have then. In response to her first explaining why she agreed to Gaston’s proposal, he wrote that the warrior would be a far better match than he could ever hope. Milah had confessed her love and in an extremely vulnerable and desperate state, he let her seduce him. Rumple thought of Belle the entire time and regretted every last moment with her. It had been just fifteen minutes long, but it would go down in history as one of his greatest mistakes. He wrote about hoping Belle could come around to forgiving him for this. Her heart was still hers. The rest of her letters were talking about wishing to get away with him once more. Rumple’s promises in the next six were that he would one day give her everything she deserved, if she would still have him after what he’d done. The last one that she wrote broke his heart, but he continued on replying. It was her shortest letter, but it was his longest response. 

When finished writing and finishing her storybook, he compiled every letter from her and underlined his favorite lines in red. Where she had learned to read a dead language, where she had been studying the library books in her home, where she studied all of the time and did nothing but read and write to him anymore. Knowing that Belle loved him now, he could see it in every single word. She told him things friends never did. How she dreamed of him constantly and wished it was the only dream she ever had instead of the nightmarish fears of losing her mother. Rumple found the first letter where she claimed she would kiss him the moment they met face to face. She was fourteen at the time, but had kept it in her heart for four years. All Belle had wanted in the years they wrote letters was more books and to be near him again. All she wanted now was the exact same things. Rumple closed the book and carried it with him up to the bedroom. He waved a hand so everything in the castle would be finished for her in the morning. Tomorrow was sleep in day.

Belle awoke from another wonderful dream to feel he was gone, but wasn’t afraid of that anymore. She stretched with a hum and looked towards Hero on the nightstand. She smiled seeing him standing atop of a white leather bound book tied neatly with a bow she carefully removed. A red rose was engraved on the front along with her name above it. She almost cried seeing all of their letters lamented in what she assumed was meant to be a photo album originally. He responded to every letter she had wrote him that week after her engagement. Every word was his form of sweet and loving, beautiful as it always had been. He signed them all the exact same way. He no longer wrote like he was trying to be higher educated and more renowned than he actually was. As she flipped closer and closer to her final letter to him, her blood ran cold. It was just a single word on a note card bidding him goodbye. She worried now what kind of response that would illicit? Would he be angry with her?

_Belle,_

_It pains me heavily reading your newest letter. There will never be a moment in my life where I will ever feel like I’ve deserved you. I had your kindness and patience and I’ve crushed it. I’m so sorry. I can’t say that my apologies warrant forgiveness. There will be no anger if you cannot find anything but contempt for me anymore. I’ve given another woman what should have been yours. I hope that you know one thing._

_I do love you. No matter if the sun rises or sets to dawn a new day for us, I will love you until it stops and far longer. You are the only thing keeping me tied down to this earth. Your safety is the most precious thing and if another man can give you that, who am I to stop it? Marry him. Marry he who makes you happy. Marry he who makes you feel safe. Marry he who will never hurt you. You deserve more love than any human being can give, but you should be with someone who tries. They must know that there’s no silk softer than your skin. There’s no perfume like yours. There’s no music comparable to your voice. The only blue that resembles your eyes is that of when they lose you and it is everywhere. The brown of your hair is when the dirt is fresh and life is coming from it. Never settle for someone that doesn’t love every last inch of you._

_Everlasting yours, R._

Belle was nearly in tears by the second paragraph. She closed the book and left it on the bed as she ran out of the room. She skipped downstairs needing to find him. He’d given her the second greatest book in this world. She needed to see and make sure she understood there was but one man in this world that would ever live up to his standards for her. She hadn’t changed or showered or brushed her hair, but Rumpelstiltskin would understand. He would take her in his arms and wouldn’t let her go. The man she fell in love with was still there. Which meant he wasn’t completely as monstrous as he and the Dark Ones were meant to be. He had the capability to love, understand he’d done her wrong, and want love in return. She wanted to give him every bit of her for every second of her life from this moment on. She thought she might before, but this had just proved everything. Her mother was right in sending him away. All the pain and suffering that they’d both gone through had drawn them closer. A terrible way to learn this lesson, but better than never have.

Rumpelstiltskin had just appeared in the parlor room whenever Belle made it to the main floor of the castle. Without a word, she went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He stood briefly paralyzed before realizing who attacked him and registering why. Rumple entrapped her in his hold. The feeling of almost losing her over all of this hadn’t been apparent until writing those letters. She was here now with him. She may had not forgiven him for everything, and he couldn’t blame her for that, but she was trying. If going to bed with him hadn’t shown that then this did. He could do right by Belle. Which meant on down the road or very soon when he got the right information, he could do right by his son. She kissed him full on his mouth. Not enough to change him back completely, but only to express her physical affection for him. She may not had any magic like he or others in this land, but she was more powerful than them all. At her command, he would do anything in this world. That idea might terrify him once. Now there was only excitement of what she might do.

“Could we go out together after I finish work for the day?”

“Why not now?” He did a little skip to be at her side and offered his arm. She smiled taking his arm, but stopped. Instead of her nightgown, she was now wearing a pair of white gloves and pale green dress. He wore a red vest that reminded her of Christmas when they stood next to each other.

“Come along, dearie. I have something to show you.”


	13. The Snow

Snow always appeared to be falling somewhere else. A white Christmas had always been a dream since Belle was young and Colette had filled her head with wondrous fantasies of it. Waking up bright and early when the sun was just twinkling over the horizon. A blanket of soft snow was already covering the land around her home, but she would wait. Impatient, she would run down the steps to see gifts crowding their main room. Most would be for her and she would already be knee deep in wrapping and garland before her mother and father could wipe the sleep from their eyes. Following the presents, she would dress to run outside and play for hours upon hours. Sledding, snowman building, making angels in the ground, all with her mother and father. Then they would go back inside, ice cold and rosy cheeks but happy all the while. They would have breakfast and play with toys until the party guests showed and she would play with all of her friends and cousins. Then dinner. A wondrous ham, bread, wine, cheese, champagne, every little bit. They would tuck her in bed at the end of the day with a kiss to her cheek and she would wish every single day was Christmas.

Reality wasn’t like that at all. Belle’s and Rumpelstiltskin’s didn’t differ too much, she learned as they walked and talked about the upcoming holiday. They both spent it alone aside from one person (Milah and Colette) and obtained a single gift. She got books, he got more thread for the spinning wheel. Her dinner was indeed a feast all by herself as Colette and Maurice had to leave to some dinner party. His was a meat pie alone on his cot while the spinner sisters worked on the New Year’s inventory. It was the loneliest time in the world for them both. Belle squeezed his arm as they continued on walking in mostly silence. She wondered if there were recipes around their library that would let her make him a meat pie between now and then. He kept her close as they walked in and it grew colder with every passing step. Belle didn’t mind. This was her first time outside of the Dark Castle since arriving. She wrapped his arm around her shoulders and leaned into him as they walked.

“You look good with snow.” Belle complimented as it gathered around his shoulders. She smiled and placed her head to his cheek when he gave her a disbelieving look. 

“Rumpelstiltskin!” A woman called, her voice surrounding them as though the winter weather carried it. Belle extended her arm across him in defense to protect him.

“What is it now, Ingrid?” He moved Belle’s shield by taking her hand in his. “Another temper tantrum?”

Belle shuddered and stood closer as the snow picked up. He reached into his pocket and handed her a red diamond shaped vial. Trusting him, she drank what tasted like cherry medicine. It warmed her instantly, thankfully seeing as the snow was swirling around faster and faster, but she stayed close anyway. A woman approached, barely visible until she was quite close. Her white blonde hair matched her icy stare. Looking at her though, she resembled more fear than anything else. The woman extended her hands in their direction. On one wrist was a beautiful yellow ribbon.

“I need you to take them away. I want to be normal before I hurt them.”

“What is wrong with you?” Belle asked, hoping it wasn’t offensive.

“I thought I already told you three that your ‘true love’ would do well enough?” He said the phrase with a bit of taunting attitude before remembering who was standing next to him.

“It’s much too strong. I desperately need something to control it.” Belle watched as he contemplated this.

“Helga, Gerda, stop hiding away!” He put a distance between himself and Belle, but not too much. Two other women stepped from the swirling blizzard storm into view. “Dearie, if I may. Our Snow Queen Ingrid might be interested in them.” He bowed before Belle and she gave him her hands. He removed the gloves and presented them. 

“These will help you conceal them if you only have faith.”

“They don’t contain magic?” Belle asked. She thought she might had been able to feel that.

“Oh, don’t believe that. The essence of love is a powerful thing.” Her warmth elevated at this and comforted her hands at the new contact from the blistering wind. “But if it isn’t strong enough,” he turned back towards the three women “There is an urn which will entrap you if things get too chilly. Pop the top and in you go.” He conjured the urn and placed the gloves on top of it. 

Ingrid stepped forward to take the objects, but Rumpelstiltskin stopped her. “An exchange of goods. Your ribbons in exchange for my Belle’s gloves.”

“Never. We can protect her on our own.” Helga declared with Gerda’s agreement.

“No! That’s not the way this goes. You shouldn’t have to be afraid of me.” The three of them held each other’s wrists in a battle. For a moment, Belle thought they were going to walk away. Ingrid removed the three of their ribbons herself.

“You are no monster!” Gerda pleaded. Belle placed a hand on Rumple’s arm as the words affected her heart as well. Ingrid placed the gloves on her hands first, thus calming the chaos.

“Not anymore.” 

Belle guided Rumple away to let the sisters have their space. She felt proud of him. When he wanted to, he was actually a very helpful Dark One. The attitude he gave people was part of a character. It was funny when not directed towards her. He also called her his Belle. The sound of that, of him vocally claiming her as his, was enchanting as magic. His humanity, his kisses, his words, it all was better and held her attention tighter than any spell could. Warmed her, too. She stopped him when they had put a little ways between them and the sisters. She reached up and held his face to press a long, loving kiss. The essence of her love was right here. She shouldn’t call it perfection by any means. No other word was good enough. He was even starting to return the kiss the moment it happened without worrying about it. She lingered when he stopped suddenly. 

“Mm, what’s wrong?” She asked, bumping her nose against his. She looked into his priceless amber eyes as an almost scary look of mischief entered them. 

“Queen Regina is about to begin her marvelous destiny. Do you mind if we make a detour?” 

“You go. I’ll wait at home.” Belle ran her fingers through his hair and her eyes darkened. He searched them for a clue that she might mean that way her tone hinted at. 

“I’ll send you.” He waved his hand and a cloud of smoke began a swirl around her. 

Belle felt like a giddy little girl who just got walked home from her first date and kissed at the door. She bit her lip and hugged herself. She’d never been on a date before. The outing with the kiss by the brook had hardly counted as one, so she was excited for this. She hurried upstairs, but quickly regained her mind. She wanted everything to be perfect for tonight. She didn’t know when he’d return exactly, but she could gauge that it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Nothing to do with his work ever was. She had time to shower and tie strands of her hair in bows so it would curl the way she wanted. She then painted her face and searched endlessly for the right and perfect dress. She set it on the bed while she, donned in only her robe, went to the library. It took several cookbooks, but she finally found what she was looking for.

Dinner was set, meat pies were made, wine was poured, and candles were lit. All that took was him to come home to her and they could end this day as wonderful as it began. She would ask if they could have a tree in the foyer and to have an actual moment this holiday. Belle could see it all right before her. All it took was his agreement and cooperation to make everything worthwhile. No more killings. No more dirty deals. This would be a stretch, but she believed in her Rumpelstiltskin who had faith in decency of people despite what he’d been through. She believed in the power of their love that made them able to be together. And meant to be together. That was where her desire for him stemmed. It was going to take her to the depths tonight. If he let her, of course.


	14. The Break

Belle was upstairs asleep on the sofa after the wait took longer than she’d thought. She was oaken not by his hand gently shaking her or rapidly tapping her nose. Not even by a sweet kiss from her darling love. Every window in the Dark Castle shattering was what woke her, followed by more clamoring and smashing downstairs. It was as if someone was exploding the place to tear it down. Terrified, she ran downstairs to gather their most treasured items. He had a lot of wonderful valuables collected over the years, but she knew what would be his favorites. Everything in the Castle could be replaced, he’d told her. Everything but what he kept locked up tight where not even she had access to. All she had to do was hope that it would be safe when she and him returned later to the rubble.

Her shock turned into surprise seeing the actual cause of the loud noise was not an explosion, rather explosive anger. She had never in her entire life seen Rumpelstiltskin like this. He was far beyond simply angry. He was tipping over furniture, breaking whatever got in his way. From her view that was everything. Belle clamped a hand over her mouth seeing the dismembered fisted hand he was holding. She was about to let him continue with this and come see him later until he was heading towards a vase of roses. That, if not the books, was her thing. He’d charmed them so they wouldn’t die even during the worst winters and hottest summers. If they spilled out of the enchanted vase they would wither away instantly. She went forward in the opposite direction he was heading to go around the other end of the table. She grabbed the vase to hold against her chest just as a piece of something flew towards her. The dessert fork stopped right between her eyes as he realized what was about to happen. His cursing mouth remained open and all darkness shrunk away into fear.

“Belle. Belle, I…” 

They were in the dining room she suddenly realized. All of her hard work was now splattered on the walls or messed on the floor. She wasn’t mad at him. She set the vase down on the floor in exchange for a meat pie flipped over onto a broken candle holder. She picked it up carefully to not get it on her fingers, then found the fork. She took a breath and handed him the pie and utensil, collected her vase, then started out the room. He needed to be alone. He needed to see what his power was really capable of. All it took was one really bad night and he could kill her without noticing. Belle had never understood that before right then. She went up to her own room and shut the door. She slid against it and hugged the vase tight against her chest. They just needed time away for a little bit. She found herself wishing for one of the first few times that he was normal again. Even the windows in her bedroom had gotten blasted.

“Belle? Dearie, can I look at you?” She could feel him leaning against the bedroom door. It wasn’t locked and he could push her if he so desired. “I’m so sorry sweetheart. You know I’d never let anything hurt you, right?” 

She did. She wasn’t allowed out due to this being such a risk. He sounded so desperate. Belle did want him to share with her what had even caused this anyway. She sighed and sat up to open the door. The moment that he did he reached for her, but stopped himself. She took his hands and placed them on her face. He stepped closer and leaned forward as though he’d never kissed anybody before. Something was wrong. She could almost feel it emitting from Rumpelstiltskin. She gracefully kissed his lips and smiled to give him hope. He tasted like meat pie. 

“Can you… can you tell me how you feel about me?” 

“I love you. I want to be with you. Tonight I wanted to have dinner and take you to bed.” 

“I cleaned everything up? Not the, not the dinner. I didn’t know what you had fixed. I saw it was a lot. You worked so hard on it. I do appreciate that, Belle, you must know I do.” He was always so good with his words. She kissed his cheek then hugged him.

“Talk to me.” Rumple flinched hearing that wasn’t a request. She was probably going to find out soon anyway.

The ship’s mate which had been rumored around the town was known to steal bored housewives for his own recreation, had been the one who took Milah and Baelfire away was docked when Rumpelstiltskin was training Regina in the dark arts. Rumple went in an effort to find out about his former wife and son. The man by name of Jones was a captain now and recognized him, but teased Rumple’s new appearance being worse than the last. Jones swore no woman alive could ever find Rumple remotely desirable. When Rumple first claimed Milah she denied it, but her emotions for Killian were real. She even swore she was a changed woman. She apologized for leaving him alone for the rest of the days. She couldn’t say who had fathered Baelfire, but it didn’t matter. She refused to give her baby away to any Dark One, no matter how well she knew him. He didn't care if Baelfire was his or not. Milah wasn’t fit with her rash decisions to be a mother to the only precious and perfect thing Rumple might had done. His son was gone forever.

“I could have killed her, Belle. I had my hand right on her heart in her chest.” They’d synced moved to sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I’m proud of you for not. Why didn’t you?” 

“You. How you’d give anything to see your mother again. I heard your cries after you found out she passed. I saw your face.” She kissed at his face, wishing there was a way to help.

“Our children will be so loved.” 

Rumple looked to her at the comment. Confusion overthrew a lot of his pain. He reached up to hold her cheek and kissed her mouth as though he were starving for attention. Her chest heaved as he dipped to make his mark on her neck. Belle leaned back a hand and grasped the duvet as his aggression powered her back onto the bed. She coursed her fingers though his hair and massaged his scalp as his rough mouth and teeth inched towards her chest. He was so quick about getting her out of the dress that she thought it may be magic. She whimpered as his waist settled between her legs. She pulled him to face her so she could look directly in his pure amber eyes while her fingers pulled his shirt from his tight leather pants. She confessed her love and had to promise him over and over again that she wanted this. If she got pregnant so be it. She smiled, a little giggly as she fought to remove his pants. He kept moving his waist to make it more difficult with her.

“I would much rather pleasure you with my tongue.”

“I’m not trying to pressure you, but…I swear I won’t hurt you. I want this. I want you.” She pleaded, digging her heels into his back. 

Rumple kissed her mouth and she gasped feeling his erect cock moving against her. Belle gripped onto his flesh as his teeth bit and nails scraped her. She loved it. Her nipples perked at the adrenaline and feeling of it getting colder in the room. She had dreams about this. He was much better than she was at pleasuring her. He eased only when there was a tiny bit of pain from her hymen breaking, but she urged him to continue. He worried when very tiny droplets of blood hit the sheets, but she begged him. She said words her pretty mouth had never said before. The walls of the Dark Castle shook with their pleasure, trembled and whimpered with her calling the Dark One’s name. She was a screamer. Even afterwords when he pulled out before climaxing inside and he went down on her clit. He made their first night and her first time the best that he could.

“My goodness that was amazing.” She breathed, holding him against her chest.

“I can’t believe you’re the same woman which told me to-”

“Hush!” She laughed, rolling onto her side and pushing a finger to his mouth. “How are you feeling?”

“Better. You?”

Belle nodded and kissed his knuckles. “We’ll get him back. You and me.”


End file.
